I am reading such knowledgeable and insightful replies to all the health problems so I thought I would avail myself of the expertise on this site.

I have suffered from redness of both my legs just above the ankles to half way up my shins for a few years now.  It is also accompanied by fluid retention in my ankles.  It just seemed to appear and when I went to my doctor he just shrugged his shoulders and said I was stuck with it.  I'm not in any pain at all, though the fluid retention can cause a bit of discomfort at times - it isn't there all the time though.

I was diagnosed by an online doctor before I came across this website and was told that it was most likely venous stasis and that made sense.  I am overweight and my work is very sedentary.  Over the years I have made various changes to my diet and am now making a concerted effort to get rid of my "two tone" legs.

My diet mainly consists of fish (mainly salmon), fresh fruit and veg, Live natural yoghurt, whole grain bread and unsalted nuts.  For sweetness I have a few dried dates, sugar free jam on my toast and occasionally will have some chocolate and icecream - the craving for these has decreased considerably though and I now find foods I used to like too sweet.  I gave up  meat 3 years ago  and very rarely drink alcohol.  I drink a couple of organic coffees a day with a bit of milk but the rest of the day I drink only water.  I have been reading up on this condition and am upping my levels of garlic, onions and adding ginger and cayenne pepper to my cooking.  This is also addressing the weight problem which is going slowly but surely.

I am a graphologist and this means that I spend many hours sitting down analysing handwriting, though I do get up and move around and stretch to keep myself flexible.

I'm only a few days into the additional measures I am taking so it's too soon to see if there are any improvements, but I just wanted to know if anyone has any other ideas that would help which I have missed.

Going back to a previous point I made - I am finding foods I used to like either much too sweet or unbearably salty.  Is it just the case that my tastebuds are more sensitive since I stopped eating processed foods, or are companies actually putting more sugar and salt into their products?

Thanks

Sue

I would suggest that you ask your doctor to be tested for cholesterol level and blood coagulation properties. Despite your blood pressure possibly being normal, blood cholesterol and blood clotting factors are only contributing to hypertension factors, not necessary the causative factors, especially if you are young.

Good luck.

---

Alla Cranham, MSc ABMT,
Registered Homotoxicologist

Mercury House
Northgate
Nottingham
NG7 7FN

Tel +44(0) 845 450 7316
Mob +44(0) 77361 47458
Fax +44(0) 115 9163109
http://www.in-vivo-health.co.uk

Thanks Alla - definitely advice that I hadn't considered.  Having limited medical knowledge could you please expand on "hypertension factors" for me?  I understand the rest.

I will pop along to the doctor and hope to get more than the shrug of the shoulders I got last time.  I live in London, so as you can imagine, the doctors are hard pressed for time.

Thanks again for your input.

Sue

Sue,

 

Your symptoms are just an indication of a lack of health.

Here are my suggestions to improve your health:

1.Go to www.ppssuccess.com  click on free self assessments and then on metabolic typing questionnaire...this will tell you your metabolic type...

2.Eat to your metabolic type...see The Metabolic Typing Diet by William Wollcott for detailed info.

3.Find out your weight in kilos and multiply by 0.033 to find how much water you need /day...avoid tap water...put a pinch of SEA SALT in each litre of water.

4.Eat ONLY organic,fresh foods.

5.Your salmon is almost certainly farmed fish...even organic farmed fish are not ideal...the industry is very poorly regulated...WILD fish are best.

6.Your weight is most certainly contributing to your problems...to lose weight avoid ALL GRAINS and products made from them.

7.You are almost certain to have a fungal/parasite infestation of some kind...most people do...read The Fungus Link by Doug Kaufman for an excellent anti fungal diet...avoid ALL SUGAR...sugar feeds parasites and fungus...the garlic,onions, ginger and cayenne are excellent.

8.Sitting all day leads to stagnation in the body fluids and life force energy called chi...stretch regularly...walk outside in nature for 20 mins every day.

9.Try Breathing Squats...take up a comfortable stance and as you slowly exhale just squat down as far as comfortable,natural pause at the bottom and then slowly stand up as you inhale...if your heart rate or breathing increases you are working too hard...do as many as you comfortably can...if you do them after a meal you should feel the exercise aiding your digestion.

10.Eat meat...Organic,free range of course...meat is an excellent anti fungal food that contains animal protein and saturated fats that are GOOD for you...visit www.ppnf.org  for more info.

11.LOVE YOURSELF...the legs are linked in eastern medicine to the root chakra which is influenced by factors regarding safety,security,money,stability...any issues in these areas could be causing your problems...MANY,MANY problems people have stem directly from their inability to love themselves and believe they actually deserve to be happy...

One book that covers all the above and more is How To Eat,Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek.

Hope this helps

Blobby

 

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Robin Allan
Chek Practitioner
Natural Health Coach


robin_allan@hotmail.com

07973-808211

Hi Blobby

What fantastic advice and I can relate to a lot of it.  I'm delighted to see that a lot of these issues I'm addressing already so this is just the added push that I need.  I will check out the websites you recommend and make the changes.

Talking about tap water - I bought a water distiller a few years ago and swear by it.  I live in West London and the water is very metallic and I was shocked at how much grey sludge was in the container after I had put 8 - 12 litres through it. 

I totally relate to the sugar comments - my legs do get paler when I don't eat it for a few days - and happily the cravings are getting less all the time.

Regarding not eating meat, a few years ago I heard some things about meat that turned me right off it so I can't mentally go there any more.  To be honest, I do feel much better for not eating it - my stomach doesn't get the "heavy" feeling when I just eat fish and vegetables etc. I will need to find a substitute for that.

I have also been working on the emotional issues related to the redness and I am happy to say that I love myself enough now to the extent that I have gone self-employed in my belief that I deserve to be happy.  Now it's just the money and security (he he!!)

Living in London it takes at least 20 minutes to find nature but I get your drift and will find a tree to walk around!!  (this is a joke in case anyone reading this is questioning my sanity!)

Thank you so much for the time spent replying to my post.

Sue

Sue,

Thank you...it's my pleasure.

Meat from these farms that cram the animals into pens and treat them no better than concentration camp inmates is indeed to be avoided.

Meat from an organic certified farm where the animals have a life is,I believe a different thing altogether.

I get some of my meat from a farm about 2 miles from me near Gerrards Cross...just after meeting the farmer and his wife I was convinced he was a compassionate man who treated his animals with humanity...you can see the animals in the fields too.

The meat from such animals is good food as nature intended and will contain non of the nasties usually fed to feed lot cattle.

If you truely cannot face meat then I suggest wild fish...there are still fish mongers around who sell this and have it labelled as such.

Graig Farm Organics also sell frozen wild fish.

The problem with fish is the pollution in the sea...Dr.Mercola on www.mercola.com recommends only wild alaskan salmon as he says it contains no contaminants.

I have seen wild alaskan salmon in Sainsburys at the fish counter but am not sure how "wild" it was...some of the supermarkets can be very clever with their labelling claims...

Generally the deeper swimming,larger fish like swordfish,shark,tuna accumulate more contaminants,especially mercury,because they eat lots of smaller fish and condense all their toxins as well.

Eating Cod,Haddock,Herring etc can possibly minimise your exposure.

The problem with not eating meat is that you will be missing out on all that great animal nutrition...this will be especially true if you turn out to be a PROTEIN TYPE on the metabolic typing test...Protein types are designed to do well on lots of fats and protein.

If you are a carbo type you may get away with a more veggie type diet but you will ideally still need some animal foods.

The omega 3 fats in meat are anti inflammatory.

You mention you have a water "distiller"...if it is a distiller and not just a filter you need to be careful...distilled water is totally naked of minerals and will pull any minerals you have in your body out as you excrete it...it is good for short periods for detoxing but be careful with it long term as there have been reports of long term use causing spontaneous cracking of teeth as the minerals are leached from them!!

I am sure there are lots of lonely trees in West London that would just love to have you walk around them and share a bit of energy with you!!

Blobby

 

 

---

Robin Allan
Chek Practitioner
Natural Health Coach


robin_allan@hotmail.com

07973-808211

Hi Blobby

Great to hear from you again with some more great advice.

I think I need to qualify the reason why I don't eat meat anymore.  I used to be a meat eater and really enjoyed it.  However, just over 3 years ago I went on a seminar and nutrition was one of the elements of it.  We were told that after the animal is killed then decomposition happens really quickly - that urine is the element that tenderises the meat and that the stomach and internal organs start to leak waste matter into the meat and that permeates it.  That vision of what I could be eating turned me right off and I haven't eaten meat since.  If it could be proved to my satisfaction that the information I was given was incorrect I wouldn't be averse to eating meat again, but I need to have that image obliterated first.  The down side of eating fish wasn't as visually repellent and so I have been happy to continue with that - and I have to admit I have been happy and much more adventurous with my food since not eating meat.

I will take on board the "wild" element of fish and be more selective - I agree about the "creative labelling"!!  Anything to clear the shelves seems to be the motivation.

I did the test you recommended and have come out as a Mixed Type.

I hadn't heard that about Water Distillers - I must admit to having had no problems in the 4 years I've had mine and it has encouraged me to drink much more water as it tastes decent.  I will look into your claims though as it's the first I knew about the mineral element.

I will go and find a deserving tree.  I remember being hearing some years ago that a woman bought a property with 7 fir trees.  She took to sitting under the tree closest to the house and gave it lots of love - it grew twice the size of all the others.  Amazing eh?

I really appreciate your advice.

 Many thanks

Sue

Hi Sue,

Blimey,are you sure that seminar wasn't sponsored by the Vegan Society!!!

I have no idea if what you were told is true or not but it would seem to me that the bladder and intestines would have to be pierced for their contents to escape into the meat.

But if you are happy not eating meat then go for it...the nutritional benefits of meat may be outweighed by your negative feelings about eating it.

As a Mixed Type your meals should consist of 40% Protein,10% Fat and 50% Carbs...Best way to do this is to put animals on half your plate and veg on the other half.

As a mixed type you can swing between being a protein type to being a carbo type as your stress levels change...temperature,weather,hormonal fluctuations and exercise can all affect your body's needs and change your metabolic type...you need to listen to your body as it tells you if you need more carbs or protein etc

If you get your proportions right you should feel satisfied and energized for about 4 hrs.

Portion Control...a portion is the size of the palm of YOUR hand...NOT Hulk Hogans!!!

I would suggest 1 protein and 1 carb portion...if this isn't enough just add half a portion or a portion extra.

Try eat a large breakfast if possible as this revs up your metabolism for the whole day.

To lose weight eat your largest meal for breakfast,slightly smaller lunch and dinner as the smallest 2 hrs before bed.

If you require snacks between meals the protein / carb ratio should be like your meals.

If you read The Secret Life of Plants by Tompkins and Bird you will discover that plants and trees react to human thoughts and intent and can indeed be induced to grow better by talking to them...Prince Charles aint so daft after all!!!

Trees store the memories of all that happens around them,they communicate to each other via some mass tree consciousness over vast distances...Native American Indians could communicate with the spirit,also called a deva or dryad,of the trees and gain much info about nature.

It is said if you lean against a tree and ask its permission,you can access this knowledge...how cool is that?!!

Nature Spirits and Elemental Beings by Marko Pogacnik is a book that just blew me away...try it.

Blobby

---

Robin Allan
Chek Practitioner
Natural Health Coach


robin_allan@hotmail.com

07973-808211

He, he - you might be right there!!  It was actually an Anthony Robbins seminar and I did a fire walk on the first night - it was amazing.  I tell you, many vegetarians walked out of there!  I really like the taste of meat but until I can be sure that the information isn't correct I really can't face it.

Over the past 4 years I have been making a concerted effort to get healthier and have got to the point of listening to what my body tells me it wants - since I have done a number of cleanses etc., (all sensible ones) my body doesn't half tell me off if I give it something it doesn't like - it's just not worth the discomfort!!  I feel really healthy now, the weight is slowly going and it's just the redness that I am stuck with and really hope to get rid of.  I actually have a small appetite - my problem has always been what I've been eating rather than how much.  I am gradually getting my sugar addiction under control - not an easy feat as anyone with a sweet tooth will understand.  I was interested in finding out that most of the "what I thought to be healthy" foods that had become my staples were actually high on the GI index - and I thought I was being so good!!  Back to the drawing board!!

A friend of mine is a Shaman who was trained by a tribe of Shamans in Bolivia - one of the things that happened to him was that during his training he was taken into the jungle and left to find his way back - which he did by following the lights that the plants gave off in their energy fields.  I will check out the books you recommend.  Have you ever read "Zero Limits" by Joe Vitale - a great book which resonated with me.

I am very into the Native American culture - I work with the Sacred Path and Medicine Cards - there is so much wisdom in nature.  I am totally in agreement with you on that score.  Animals also have a lot to teach us.

It's great to talk to a like-minded person.

Cheers

Sue

 

 Sue,

I believe Tony Robbins got his veggie ideas from hanging out with Deepak Chopra.

Chopra is of Indian descent and is far more likely to be a true carbo type and will therefore thrive on an almost veggie diet.

If Robbins is not a carbo type he may not function as well long term on such foods.

The Fungus Link by Doug Kaufman is a great book...it explains how parasites can cause you to have sugar cravings because that is their favourite food...kill the little blighters and no more cravings!!!

I saw Joe Vitali on The Secret DVD...he was good...seen his books but not read any yet.

I have several books by Alberto Villoldo about shamanism...my fave  is Shaman,Healer,Sage...what a great book!!

Blobby

---

Robin Allan
Chek Practitioner
Natural Health Coach


robin_allan@hotmail.com

07973-808211

Hi Blobby

Good point about Tony Robbins.  I know that at the seminar he also encouraged only eating fruit before 12.00 am.  Fine in California!!  However, he did retract that statement at a later date and said that he'd been wrong - so at least the man is willing to admit to mistakes.  I'll have a look and see if the meat issue is retracted too.  He is only as good as the information he is given by the experts.

I can see my already extensive library expanding considerably!!

I have read many "self discovery" books but to me "Zero Limits" just hit the spot.  It went further than all the creative visualisation books and just made ultimate sense.  It backed up all the knowledge I had acquired about shamanism.

Another great DVD is "What The Bleep Do We Know".

Cheers

Sue

Hi Sue

I am sure that diet and all the other points of discussion will be beneficial but there is no getting away from the fact that venous return uses the pumping action of the muscles in the legs to pump the blood back up to the heart. Quite a task if you think about it. Arteries, that take blood from the heart to the extremities, have muscles in their walls to help pump the blood along. Veins, which are the carriers of the blood back to the heart, do not. Hence the need for the muscle pump.

You state that you have a sedentary job so you do need to do some exercise. Just spending a couple of minutes every hour doing a few foot exercises will help. Look on sites that tell you about the exercises to do when flying long-haul, they will do very well. Then doing some walking every day. Getting off the bus one stop early, parking at the furthest corner of the supermarket car-park, taking the stairs not the lift etc all help.

To stimulate the circulation and make it work you can follow this routine:

1. Lie on your bed resting your legs on pillows so that your feet are well above your heart. Stay there until the legs blanch ( ie they turn pale because the blood has drained from them)

2. Sit up and hang your legs over the edge of the bed, if necessary sit on the pillows as your feet must hang and not touch the floor. Remain in this position until the feet turn red indicating that the blood has returned.

3. Sit on the bed with your legs in front of you until the colour returns to normal.

Repeat

As the circulation improves the time in each position should get less.

I would also say return to your GP and make sure he checks you over and does some blood tests. There is a possibility that the swelling is due to poor heart function. I think it unlikely but better safe that sorry.

Hope this helps

Gill 

Hi Gill

Thanks very much for this valuable advice. 

My main problem is that I work from home as a handwriting analyst and I can spend many hours sat analysing away - especially when I have deadlines.  I have been up and about the last few days at meetings but it isn't a regular thing.  I do have a lateral thigh trainer which gives good muscle pumping action so I will hop on that for a few minutes every hour. 

I will definitely fit the "feet above heart" routine into my day.

I have been taking some water retention tablets and am happy to say that the swelling is much improved.

Thank you for your valuable advice.

Sue

Hi Sue,I have the exact same problem but have found a product that helps.It took about a month to kick in but now helps to reduce my swollen ankles,some days I am almost normal!The product is called'Venaforce' and is marketed by Bioforce(UK)Ltd.It is an extract of horse chestnuts in tablet form.It is available from health food shops.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Regards John Chapman, 

Hi John

Thanks for that - being normal is what I aspire to!!  I haven't heard of that product and will definitely go out and find it.  Living in London has the advantage of being able to find most things very quickly.

Thanks so much for telling me about it.

All the best

Sue